Tattooed Memory
by sailor's delight
Summary: slight AU Teddy does something for his parents. NTRL, minor TLVW


**A/N** this is yet another fic that takes place in my own little AU...everythings explained in the fic i hope! reviews are welcome

enjoy!

-sailor's delight

**Tattooed Memory**

Teddy glanced around the shop in apprehension. If his Gran knew where he was right now…he didn't like to think about it. Teddy Lupin was currently sitting in a grungy tattoo chair in a grungy section of Diagon Alley, waiting for Frank (the tattoo artist with so many piercings his face looked like a pin cushion) to finish up his sketch. Teddy was starting to wonder if this was really how he wanted to spend his seventeenth birthday. _No, _Teddy thought to himself, _I can't back out now. _He laughed to himself and thought that if his mother was here how she would probably call him a chicken.

The thought of Nymphadora Tonks reminded Teddy why he was in this tattoo parlor. Now that he was seventeen, Teddy was officially of age in the wizarding world, and was able to get a tattoo. Why was he getting ink injected into his skin through a needle? For dear old mom and pops of course. Teddy's parents were killed in the Battle of Hogwarts a few months after Teddy was born. They were both members of the Order of the Phoenix and died making this world a better place for Teddy to live in. He had grown up with his Grandma on his mother's side, and frequently spent evenings at Harry (his godfather) and Ginny's house. Harry was younger cousins with James Potter, who had died alongside his girlfriend Lily Evans, protecting Harry from You-Know-Who a couple of years before Teddy was born. James and Lily were best friends with Teddy's mom and dad while they were at Hogwarts.

Teddy looked around the shop once more and thought that his parents other best friend and his mother's cousin, Sirius, would probably love it here, and love Teddy for doing this, but he was also killed after James and Lily but before Teddy was around. But boy did his Gran just love to tell stories about them. When Teddy was younger she was always showing pictures of his parents and their friends and telling them about all the adventures they had with the Order. Teddy loved hearing about his parents and always craved more, but it sometimes bothered him. It reminded him about all his parents gave up so that he could live. They always looked so happy in the pictures, and Teddy knew that they were taken before things got bad with You-Know-Who. Gran and Harry and Ginny were always saying how much Teddy was like his parents. He was a spitting image of Remus when he was seventeen, and was a metamorphagus just like Nymphadora. He did well in school like Remus, was in Gryffindor like both his parents, and was even a bit clumsy sometimes like Dora.

Even with the endless stories of their bravery and mischief, Teddy still felt empty inside whenever he thought about his parents and their sacrifice for him. They gave everything they had for him, and what did he ever do for them? He had seen the newspaper report about the Battle of Hogwarts that his Gran had carefully saved; he had seen his parents name and picture in the memorial building on the school's grounds, hell, he even lived in the school that killed them for seven years. So that's why Teddy was here today. To get something permanent for them, something that said, "this is for my parents who died in the line of duty".

He told the artist that he wanted to get something that represented his parents and asked him to sketch something up that had a dolphin and a full moon in it. After a few minutes Frank showed Teddy the sketch and Teddy knew it was perfect.

Frank got to work on the tattoo. It didn't hurt as bad as he thought it would. He just imagined his parents were there with him. How his mom would worry at first, but love the end result, and how his dad would remain quiet the whole time, maybe say a few sarcastic comments, but ruffle his hair when it was all through.

After a few minutes of silence Frank asked, "So, you said this was for your parents. What happened to them?"

Teddy knew this was bound to happen. "They were in the Order of the Phoenix and died in the Battle of Hogwarts," Teddy replied slowly. Now that You-Know-Who had been defeated for nearly seventeen years, there was no point in hiding the fact that the Order existed for they had nothing to be in fear of, and by now everyone knew about the secret society that fought the Death Eaters.

"Woooow, man. That's pretty intense," Frank said.

"Yeah. Pretty intense," Teddy said back to him.

A few minutes later Frank spoke again, "so why a dolphin and a moon?"

Teddy also had expected this. "Well my mom had a thing for dolphins. She had one tattooed on her hip and her patronus was a dolphin. From what my Gran tells me she really loved the ocean when she was alive." Teddy paused before continuing. "And my dad…he was a werewolf."

Frank stopped what he was doing and looked up at Teddy, who was expecting him to freak and refuse to continue the tattoo. But instead, Frank said, "wait, your dad was a werewolf and in the Order…hey, your dad was Remus Lupin! That means your godfather is Harry Potter!" Teddy knew Frank would eventually figure this out, no matter how thick his skull was.

"And your mom, was she the...oh what's it called…" Frank thought out loud.

"Metamorphagus," answered Teddy.

"Yeah! That's it! Wow dude. I've heard stuff. Your parents were like, elite, man," Frank finally said.

"Yeah, they were, weren't they," Teddy said to himself.

* * *

A couple hours later Teddy apparated to the front steps of Shell Cottage and rang the doorbell. A stunningly beautiful petite girl with strawberry blonde hair who looked to be about two years younger than Teddy answered the door.

"Did you get it?" she asked, her bright blue eyes looking up at Teddy.

"Yeah," Teddy replied.

"Well come in! Let me see!" Teddy followed Victore into the cozy cottage and sat down next to her on the couch in the living room. He took off his shirt to reveal a large white bandage over his heart. He peeled back the tape and winced.

"Oh you big baby," Victore said in response to his wincing.

"Hey. It hurts," Teddy said looking down at her. He got the bandage off, revealing the tattoo to Victore.

She gasped and said, "Oh Teddy, it's beautiful," as she ran her pale fingers across the ink.

The tattoo had turned out exactly how Teddy imagined it. There was a small dolphin in black and grey jumping in front of a black and grey full moon.

"I know they would love it Teddy," Victore said softly. Teddy nodded and looked down. "What's wrong Teddy," Victore asked. _Damn, _Teddy thought, _why does she have to know me so well? _

"I don't know…it's weird, I always felt this…hole whenever I thought about them or heard stories about them. And now it's like…like I'm thanking them for everything. And they're always going to be with me, right in my heart."

Victore looked at Teddy and smiled sadly. Teddy looked down into his lap again and prayed that his parents could see him now.

**Disclaimer**

Anything that is recognizable from any of the _Harry Potter _books is property of J.K. Rowling and I make no profit from it.


End file.
